Say You Remember Me
by RockyMountainGirl
Summary: Emma finds Killian in the Underworld but he doesn't remember her or anything about Storybrooke… and doesn't want to remember. Emma enlists Liam's help to reclaim her and Killian's happy ending.


_He doesn't remember me._ The realization seemed to knock all the wind from Emma's chest. But it was true, it had to be. The way he had just looked at her, just looked _through_ her, was exactly the same way her parents had looked at her when she had gotten trapped in the past. She had wished then that no one she loved would ever look at her like that again… but for Emma Swan wishes all so often didn't come true.

They were on the deck of the _Jolly Roger,_ which like the rest of the town in the Underworld looked like it had seen better days, and he was still standing there staring at her with those curious eyes. "Do I know you? Or rather, did I know you….from before here?" he gestured vaguely around them. "I'm sorry, but when you live for a couple of centuries, it's rather hard to remember all those faces, and I can't seem to be able to place yours… Besides I'm sure I would remember a face as lovely as yours"

"No." Emma replied breathlessly, her mind spinning. She remembered another time, a little over a year ago. A crazy plan, a far reach, a leap of faith. It hadn't worked then, but maybe…. "But you will." She pressed her lips firmly against his, pushing him back a step in bewilderment.

She pulled back and looked up expectantly, holding her breath. But Killian just raised his eyebrows and gave a playful smirk. "Not that I'm complaining, love, but what exactly was that for? It's bad form to just plant one on like that without warning."

Emma's hearth sank. Of course it wouldn't work, she had known it was a long shot. Her parents had always made True Love's Kiss seem like such an easy solution, but the fact remained that it was impossible to love someone you can't remember. _There has to be another way._

A man who had been tying down some ropes to the base of the mast turned around and looked at them with and inquisitive smile. "Killian, who is this and why haven't we been introduced?"

"I'm sorry, Liam, but I have no idea." He replied.

"Oh, are you sure? It certainly looked like you know each other."

 _Liam._ Emma had not paid any attention to him she had been so focused on Killian. _They have the same eyes,_ she noticed. "Emma… my name is Emma. I'm sorry, I just… this is going to sound crazy, but you know where you are right?"

Killian frowned. "Not a very uplifting way to start a conversation, but yes indeed. We are all quite aware that we are dead, but we're making the most of it. Aren't we brother?"

Liam nodded. "Yes. It was a bit rocky at first. Catching up with what my little brother had been up to topside…after I died it seems he made a slew of bad choices… and I'm still waiting for him to try to reach out to our father to make things right," he gave Killian a pointed look. "But we've been apart for too long, we're moving forward. That life is, quite literally, behind all of us. No point in dwelling on it for too long."

"Aye," Killian stepped forward. "So why did you come here to bring it back up?"

Emma bit her lip. "Maybe there are some things from that life that are worth dwelling on," she started timidly. "Maybe things that you've forgotten?"

Killian tensed. "I think you should leave."

"No!" Emma pressed, "You need to remem-"

"Fine," Killian interrupted. "If you won't leave I will!" With that, he stormed down the docks and Emma watched too startled by his outburst to follow.

Liam stepped up beside Emma. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Killian can't remember how he died. He was trying to get to this man named Rumplestiltskin…to kill him." Liam's voice sounded strained, like he still couldn't believe his little brother could become someone so consumed by rage. "He was in another world and was working with a woman named Cora, a real piece of work that one, to try to reach him. They had a plan to trick some other people who were trying to get to that world, and he remembers hiding in a town waiting to try to gain their trust… and then it all goes blank. He can't remember anything that happened after that. We managed to find Cora and asked her to try to fill in some of the blanks, but it turns out she died shortly afterwards. We know he managed to make it to this world without magic, and that he seriously wounded this Rumplestiltskin with some poison, but we haven't found him anywhere here so we assume he's still alive. We know that the other people who were trying to get to the other world succeeded as well. And we know that Killian was still alive when Cora died. But other than that we are absolutely clueless. We asked around for a while, but eventually Killian decided he just wanted to forget about it."

"But if you guys were looking for answers, that means he wants to know the truth and he wants to remember." Emma urged. "Then why did he storm off when I started talking about lost memories?"

Liam contemplated that for a moment. "I told you that my brother and I have had some trouble coming to terms with his past… and that's just with the pieces of it he remembers. I think, perhaps, he's scared of what he might have done in that lost time. Afraid of how many new sins he will have to account for. It's easier to forget them than to have to face them. I tried to tell him to not give up and to keep searching… that he needs to know, but he can be so stubborn."

Emma smiled. "He told me the same of you once."

"Did he now?" Liam searched her face. "So tell me, how do you know Killian?"

"Well, I was one of those people who was trying to get to Storybrooke… that's the name of the 'other world' he was trying to reach. It's a long story, a lot happened, but Killian needs to know. _I_ need him to know." She paused. "And _you_ should know that he became a better man again. The brother you knew. The time he's forgotten, it isn't all good, there are some new sins, but he did a hell of a lot of good too. He was a good man and a hero, several times over. … and I love him."

Liam stood straighter at this. "Is that so? And did he love you?"

"Yes." There is no hesitation.

Liam peered more closely at her, as if sizing her up, trying to figure out exactly what kind of person she was, this woman who claimed to love his brother, and if she was telling the truth. Finally, he seemed satisfied and nodded. "So…how did he die?"

Emma looked away, trying to find the best way to explain, but the words that came out did so unbidden. "I killed him."

Liam tensed. "You _what_?"

"Wait, it was more complicated," Emma tried to recover, speaking hastily and tripping over her words. "He was cut with this sword. It was just a scratch, I thought he was fine but he wasn't and then he was dying, but it was just a _scratch_ and-"

Liam interrupted with a wry chuckle and Emma glared at him. _What could possibly be funny about this?_

"A scratch, you say?" He smiled bitterly. "I always knew my little brother wanted to follow in my footsteps but that is taking it a bit far, wouldn't you agree? Killed by a scratch… Anyway, how does that relate to _you_ killing him?"

"Well, as I was say-" Emma started again, annoyed.

"No," Liam cut her off yet again. "How do I know that any of what you are saying is real? Killian made a lot of enemies, to hear him tell it, so how do I know you're not one of them? You claim to love him and that he loved you, and yet that little display earlier, which I assume was a failed attempt at a True Love's Kiss, didn't work. So how can I know that you truly love him or that anything you say is true?"

Emma wanted to punch him. _Killian was right, he is a stubborn ass._ Still, she could appreciate that he was being protective like an older brother. _And after the way he died, it's no wonder he is a little less trusting._

"Killian was right, I think you should leave." He turned around to go back to his work.

"Wait!" Emma's hand darted up to the ring around her neck. She took it off and held it out for him to see. "You know what this is." Liam turned around and his eyes widened. He held out his hand and Emma placed it in his palm so he could examine it.

"How did you get this?"

"He gave it to me." Emma's voice was firm and steady. "That was all he had left of you, and he gave it to me to keep me safe, to protect our future together… now tell me, why would he do that unless he loved me? And why would I still wear it around my neck unless I loved him?"

"I gave this to him before our first mission together. I told him it was enchanted…" Liam smiled and traced the ring with his fingers again before looking back up at her and their eyes met. He handed the ring to her and nodded apologetically. "Alright. Tell me everything."


End file.
